BUSINESS

Ninja Blocks, a Sydney start-up company that was founded by Marcus Schappi with co-founders wife Madeleine and Mark Wotton in January 2012, has amazing gadgets called the Ninja Block and the Ninja Sphere, which are essentially "remote controls" for the home. The company has attracted funding of up to $1 million from companies such as Atlassian Software founders Scott Farquhar and Mike Cannon-Brookes.

The Fed dominated headlines yesterday, with Jaime Bullard and Richard Fisher talking about the prospect of monetary policy unwinding; both agree it is likely to occur in the coming year, however their methods differ slightly.

In US economic news, weekly chain store sales were up by 2.6% in the latest week on a year ago according to Redbook, down from 4.9% in the previous week. And wholesale sales rose 1.0% in October with inventories up 1.4%.

By Greg PeelThe Dow fell 52 points or 0.3% while the S&P lost 0.3% to 1802 and the Nasdaq was steady.Following on from Monday's heavy volume, portfolio-driven slump on Bridge Street, yesterday began well and provided all the hallmarks of buyers returning after standing back the day before.

Despite the extreme popularity of King's Candy Crush Sage, the game was crushed on Monday by Pretty Simple's Criminal Case which was picked by Facebook as the game of 2013.

While the average Australian works longer based on a higher retirement age, they still are ignoring the government request to retire at age 67. However, data from the Bureau of Statistics released on Monday found that the average retirement age is 58.5 for male workers and 50 for females.

A commercial from Australian manufacturer Four Seasons Condoms has been banned to air on the small screen for being too sexy. The controversial ad, which shows a young couple testing out condom sizes inside a pharmacy by engaging in various sexual positions, was deemed inappropriate for television.

The Australian share market ran out of steam in afternoon trade, as investors elected to pull back their positions ahead of Chinese data due out after the bell. Despite rallying in early trade, the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) finished the session down 2.2 points to 5146.2.

Microsoft Non-Security Updates will be released on Patch Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013 at 1PM Eastern Time. A brief description of the 16 main updates can be found on Microsoft's Support Page, including updates on Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and Windows Servers.

Here is good news for all the fans of HBO’s fantasy drama show “Game of Thrones.” Have you ever dreamt of playing as your favorite character from “Games of Thrones” universe? Your dreams will now be manifested into reality. Along with the New Year, comes a chance to play “Game of Thrones” videogame. Telltale Games, a digital publisher and maker of “The Walking Dead” game has announced the release of the video game in 2014.

Forced to choose between the lesser evil, Australia's national air carrier Qantas announced it will slash 1,000 jobs to rein in costs as it works to keep operations afloat.

About 200 employees are about to be jobless as Wilkie Creek Mine announces closure in Queensland

Pantone Inc., the global authority on color, named the PANTONE® 18-3224 Radiant Orchid as the official color of 2014 on Dec. 5, 2013. PANTONE® 18-3224 Radiant Orchid is described by the X-Rite company located in Carlstadt, New Jersey, as "a captivating, magical, enigmatic purple."

Air New Zealand has announced it will be extending its flight services to Australia's Sunshine Coast for a third consecutive year, effective 2014.

The Australian share market is performing much more strongly today, rebounding from yesterday's 0.7 per cent loss. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 Index reached a new record high while the Dow Jones Index also closed higher, although was sold off into the close on concern tapering could begin in the next few weeks.

A report from ANZ revealed that job advertisements fell but labour demands are stabilising

It is not just iPhones that are exploding. A report came out on Monday that a Samsung Galaxy S4 caught fire when the phone was charging. While the battery did not explode, the smartphone became useless, prompting the phone owner to seek a replacement since the unit is still under warranty.

Overnight St. Louis President James Bullard hinted at the possibility that QE3 is about to see its first major alteration since its inception on September 13 2012.

In US economic news, the employment trends index rose from 113.64 to 115.21 in November.

By Greg PeelUS federal regulators have been turning the screws on global investment banks operating in the US, in more ways than one.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 5 points while the S&P added 0.2% to 1808 and the Nasdaq rose 0.3%.It was an ugly day on Bridge Street yesterday.

Retail therapy, which many females turn to when they are depressed or angry or lonely, appears to be more than just an excuse to shop - as most of the husbands or boyfriends of these women think.

If home carbonation system seller SodaStreams would have its way, one of the icons of Christmas wouldn't be red, fat and jolly. They would rather have Santa Claus be known as a Green Santa who will help the company sell more of its system.

While Android devices make up most of the world's smart phone market share, Apple Inc has increased its lead in the United States based on recent figures by comScore. According to the report, Apple Inc continues to dominate the smart phone market in the U.S. with 40.6 per cent. As Apple Inc continues to look forward to higher sales for the new versions of the iPhone and iPads in the holiday quarter, the company's stocks may be on its way to reaching $700 in 2014.

All Justin Bieber wanted from BlackBerry was $200,000 and 20 devices and he would be glad to be the company’s Ambassador. But the officials of the company, then known Research In Motion (RIM), thought it was a bad idea. Fifteen million sales of album after and $55 million earnings in the last twelve months, Bieber was no longer the rising star he was when he made the offer.

The Australian share market ignored positive economic data out of China and the US and instead started the week in the red, as investors ran scared following a shock profit warning from Australia's largest insurer QBE (QBE). The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) closed lower by 37.6pts or 0.7 per cent to 5148.4 points.

Air Canada is mulling to buy more aircraft to support its fleet and is just reportedly close to deciding which from Airbus or Boeing it will enter the deal with.

Members of the Auckland Taxi Association are on a hunger strike starting Monday after their talk with the airport company failed. Around 180 taxi drivers at the Auckland International Airport are demanding better working conditions and taxi-rank positions among other issues.

Australian internet service provider TPG Telecom Ltd has entered into a binding agreement with Telecom New Zealand to purchase the latter's Australian unit AAPT for AU$450 million.